Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation

$1 million U.S. Department of Justice grant will support virtual reality training for domestic violence response

Taylor Thomas — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:05:16 +0000

$1 million U.S. Department of Justice grant will support virtual reality training for domestic violence response Taylor Thomas Mon, 04/13/2026 - 10:05

Domestic violence 911 calls often place first responders in the midst of crisis and confusion. The scene may involve conflicting stories, visible injuries, frightened children, and little clarity about what just happened.

At 91��, researchers have secured more than $1 million in federal funding to help frontline professionals prepare for these complex moments. The grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will help fund a novel virtual reality (VR) training program to strengthen interprofessional responses to domestic violence.

Social work professors Denise Hines and Holly Matto will co-lead the one-year project in the College of Public Health, partnering with local law enforcement, domestic violence organizations, and health care providers in Northern Virginia to design and pilot the training. The team also includes social work assistant professors Michelle Hand and Anna Parisi as co-investigators, and Bethany Cieslowski, chief innovation officer for immersive technologies.

The faculty members, as well as College of Public Health Dean Melissa J. Perry, expressed gratitude to U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia for their support of the congressional funding, and to the Department of Justice for administering the $1,026,029 award through its Byrne Justice Assistance Grants program.

VR headsets in the college's Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation.

“We’re thankful for the leadership and support to bring the power of virtual reality to improve health and safety,” Perry said. “Virginia will lead the way in coordinated, prevention-focused responses to domestic violence. Looking ahead, the model developed here can one day help communities across the country.”

Using technology and resources in the College of Public Health’s Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation, the project team will build VR case scenarios that reflect the complexities of domestic violence calls. The simulations will allow frontline professionals to practice coordinated responses and experiment with different approaches before facing similar situations in real life.

“The innovation here is bringing together professionals like law enforcement, social workers, and health care providers to co-design new VR cases that are relevant to challenges on the ground,” Matto said.

Domestic violence remains a public health and safety crisis. In Virginia alone, the statewide domestic and sexual violence hotline received more than 70,000 calls in 2023. Family and intimate partner violence accounts for roughly one-third of all homicides in the state annually. And for first responders, these calls can also be among the most volatile and unpredictable situations they encounter.

“Domestic violence calls are some of the toughest calls, but also some of the most common calls that law enforcement will come across,” said Hines, the Elisabeth Shirley Enochs Endowed Professor of Social Work. “They're often coming in at a precarious and dangerous moment.”

Thumbnail photo via Pexels.

Topics

federal funding

grants

Department of Justice

Intimate Partner Violence

Domestic Violence

CPH Faculty

Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation

virtual reality

Research

GCI-Grand Challenge Initiative

GCI-Health

Learn more about George Mason's Grand Challenge Initiative

Key Takeaways:

Domestic violence calls can be complex and dangerous situations for first responders.
George Mason researchers secured more than $1 million from the U.S. Department of Justice to develop a virtual reality training program to improve domestic violence response.
The VR simulations will allow law enforcement, health care providers, and social workers to practice coordinated responses to difficult domestic violence scenarios in a safe training environment.

In This Story

Denise Hines, PhD

Holly Matto, PhD, LCSW-C

Michelle D. Hand, PhD, MSW, LSW

Bethany Cieslowski, DNP

Melissa J. Perry, Sc.D., MHS, MBA

CPH and local governments partner to employ VR training for crisis management

Taylor Thomas — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:48:46 +0000

CPH and local governments partner to employ VR training for crisis management Taylor Thomas Tue, 03/03/2026 - 09:48

A local crisis hotline receives a call about a 17-year-old displaying signs of emotional distress. The county Crisis Response Team is dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, the team must empathically engage with the teen, assess risk for self-harm, and de-escalate in a supportive way—while simultaneously observing important context like substance use, housing instability, social isolation, and any other immediate health concerns.

This scenario requires situational awareness, adaptability, decisiveness, teamwork, empathy, and a trauma-informed approach. Crisis responders must be thoroughly prepared to enter these emergency situations—and soon students and practitioners will be able to use virtual reality to train for scenarios just like this.

VR headsets in the Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation.

Holly Matto, social work professor, and co-PI, Emily Ihara, are teaming up with partners from Fairfax City and Loudoun County to develop an AI-enabled virtual reality training for Crisis Response Teams to manage substance use crises. With support from a Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority grant, they will work with 91��’s College of Public Health and its Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation.

“The college’s Immersive Technologies and Simulation Lab provides an experiential learning environment for students and our community partners. This new VR case simulation specific to community crisis response can enhance interprofessional communication and team coordination skills essential to effective crisis outcomes,” said Matto, professor in the Department of Social Work

The project aligns with the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority’s mission to address the opioid epidemic by funding efforts to assist individuals suffering from opioid use disorders and co-occurring substance use and mental illness. The goal is to enhance crisis response teams’ competency while learning how to maximize each team member’s expertise during a crisis response and post-crisis event.

How it works

Think back to the example of a crisis team responding to a 17-year-old displaying signs of emotional distress. Learning objectives for this VR scenario are:

Identify immediate additional risk screening necessary following an initial assessment.
Demonstrate therapeutic communication techniques (ex., active listening, offering affirmations) to establish trust and rapport with youth experiencing a mental health crisis.
Use evidence-based de-escalation techniques, like strategic change of the immediate sensory experience, such as walking together to a new location.
Maintain the safety, dignity, and autonomy of all using trauma-informed principles.
Collaborate with the crisis response team to coordinate roles and responsibilities during and after, ensuring a unified trauma-informed approach.

“Our newest lab VR technology platform allows for timely customized case development where we can work with our community partners to co-design and test new VR cases most relevant to the conditions seen on-the-ground,” said Matto.

Lesley Abashian, director of human services at the City of Fairfax, is the community partner lead. They are also working with the Atwood Foundation’s peer supports and the Loudoun County Opioid Coordinator.

Thumbnail image via Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.

In This Story

Holly Matto, PhD, LCSW-C

Emily Ihara, PhD, MSW, FGSA

Key Takeaways:

Social work professors Holly Matto and Emily Ihara, in partnership with Fairfax City and Loudon County, will use a Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority grant to develop VR training for Crisis Response Teams in Northern Virginia to manage substance use crises.
91��’s College of Public Health and its Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation will facilitate the training using customized, real-life scenarios of substance use crises, co-developed with the community partner team.
Crisis management teams will engage in interprofessional, trauma-informed case simulations designed to enhance response to problematic opioid use in the community.

Topics

Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation

College of Public Health

Social Work Faculty

Research

George Mason-led study highlights how XR is reshaping health care training across the country

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:48:17 +0000

George Mason-led study highlights how XR is reshaping health care training across the country Mary Cunningham Wed, 10/22/2025 - 16:48

Extended reality (XR) can give students experiences they might otherwise miss, but its success depends on thoughtful design, accessibility, and support.

Immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality are no longer experimental. They're redefining how future health professionals learn. A new national study led by 91��'s Bethany Cieslowski offers the first comprehensive look at what's working, what's not, and where the field needs to go next.

"The pace of advancement has been surprising," said Cieslowski. "XR technologies are evolving quickly, and aligning more closely with educational needs. What's most exciting is how ready educators are to embrace the tools and build the evidence to support what we're already seeing in practice."

Nursing students use virtual reality to learn hands-on skills in 91��'s Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation. Photo by Office of University Branding

Cieslowski, chief innovation officer for immersive technologies at the College of Public Health, co-authored the Nurse Educator paper with George Mason colleagues Deb Derner, Janine Doran, Andrea Landis, and Corbin Rickerby, as well as collaborators from Johns Hopkins, the University of Central Florida, and other major institutions. The review synthesizes more than 100 studies to gauge how extended reality (XR)—an umbrella term for virtual, augmented, and mixed reality—is changing the ways health care professionals train and learn.

XR lets students step into realistic clinical scenarios: inserting IV lines, communicating with patients, observing changes in the skin, or practicing pediatric triage in a 3-D emergency room. It can also bring rare experiences, like mass-casualty training or interprofessional teamwork, into accessible virtual formats.

But the authors caution that integrating XR into the classroom is far from straightforward. Poorly designed programs can overwhelm students with sensory input, increasing cognitive load. Some learners experience motion sickness or can't comfortably use headsets. Privacy is another concern, as some XR platforms collect detailed user data. Successful use also demands trained faculty, strong technical support, and sustainable funding to keep pace with constant updates.

Beyond those logistical hurdles, the paper highlights a larger issue: the field still lacks long-term data. Early results are promising—showing strong engagement and skill transfer—but few studies have measured how immersive learning translates to real-world outcomes.

The study also maps out the next frontier. Artificial intelligence can tailor simulations on the fly, while new haptic technology lets users feel texture, weight, and resistance. And lighter, more ergonomic headsets will make immersive learning more adaptive, natural, and realistic.

"These technologies are quickly becoming fundamental to the field," said Landis, associate professor of Nursing and Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator. "When they're used with intention—not just for technology's sake—we're seeing them improve knowledge retention, skill development, and collaboration."

The full article, "Extended Reality in Health Care Simulation: Current State, Challenges, and Future Directions," appears in the October 2025 issue of Nurse Educator and is available for free online this month.

Extended Reality (XR)—an umbrella term for virtual, augmented, and mixed reality

'Not Just Entertainment—a Proven Teaching Tool': How Immersive Tech Is Changing Public Health Education

Learn more about how George Mason's College of Public Health uses XR as a teaching tool.

Learn more about George Mason's Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation

Topics

Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation

virtual reality

Nursing Education

Research

College of Public Health

GCI-Grand Challenge Initiative

Melissa J. Perry named Top 2025 Health Care Innovator by Washington Business Journal

Taylor Thomas — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:29:22 +0000

Melissa J. Perry named Top 2025 Health Care Innovator by Washington Business Journal Taylor Thomas Thu, 08/28/2025 - 10:29

In This Story

Melissa J. Perry, Sc.D., MHS, MBA

The Washington Business Journal has named Melissa J. Perry, renowned environmental and occupational health scientist and inaugural dean of the College of Public Health, to the list of top 12 Health Education Innovators.

Read the full article here.

Melissa J. Perry, Inagural Dean of the College of Public Health. Read the full article here.

The Innovator in Health Care award is bestowed annually to Greater Washington’s clinical and business leaders working to solve the industry’s biggest challenges. The honor reflects Perry’s commitment to a technology-first, human-centered approach to public health education.

“This award reflects the commitment and achievements of the faculty and staff in the College of Public Health who strive for innovative solutions to improve public health each day. Together, we reimagine how immersive, interdisciplinary, and globally informed learning experiences can prepare students for health careers. I am deeply honored to represent the college as an innovator in health education,” said Dean Perry.

Under Perry’s leadership, the college has earned national recognition for its technology-enhanced curriculum. She championed the expansion of the Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation, a simulation-based workforce development and research center that offers students real-world scenarios to hone their skills before entering the field. From social work students navigating complex client interactions to nursing students providing life-saving care in a virtual hospital, the Lab engages students in technologically driven education singularly available at the college. The college is also the first public health institution in the world to be accredited by the prestigious Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

The college recently became the first in Virginia to be awarded accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health. This accreditation affirms that 91��'s public health programs provide the comprehensive, interdisciplinary training essential for cultivating the next generation of leaders in vital fields such as community health, epidemiology, global health, health policy, and health services research.

A renowned epidemiologist and environmental and reproductive health expert, Perry has been at the forefront of improving population health regionally and globally. Perry champions cross-national public health collaboration and facilitates scientific dialogue that transcends borders. She has published over 170 frequently cited manuscripts, technical reports, book chapters, commentaries, and book reviews that have furthered the field of epidemiology. Her research has been cited over 7,000 times. Perry is also a regular contributor to Psychology Today through her insightful column, The Mindful Epidemiologist. Perry’s impact as a scientist and educator has earned her the title of one of Northern Virginia’s top 50 most influential people, according to Northern Virginia Magazine.

Recently, Perry graduated with an MBA from George Mason’s Costello College of Business, expanding her expertise to include the cross-section of public health and business strategy.

As a leading voice for innovation, Perry envisions the Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation as a place where all College of Public Health students can build cutting-edge skills well into the future.

Dean Melissa Perry (center), pictured with Alex Orfinger, Market President and Publisher of the Washington Business Journal and Monica Schmude, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia, at the recent awards ceremony.
Photo credit: Nicholas Griner

Topics

College of Public Health

Public health leadership

Leadership

Washington Business Journal

Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation

Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)

Faculty and Staff News

Alumni

Sentara leaders explore cutting-edge immersive technologies at George Mason’s College of Public Health

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 18:06:34 +0000

Sentara leaders explore cutting-edge immersive technologies at George Mason’s College of Public Health Mary Cunningham Fri, 03/21/2025 - 14:06

91��’s College of Public Health (CPH) is setting the gold standard for immersive technologies in health care education. Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center President Jeff Joyner and Vice President of Operations—and two-time Mason School of Nursing alumna—Heather Causseaux recently toured the Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation, led by Dean Melissa Perry and Chief Innovation Officer Bethany Cieslowski. Their visit underscored Sentara’s interest in strengthening its simulation capabilities and exploring the groundbreaking virtual reality advancements at CPH.

Chief Innovation Officer Bethany Cieslowski, Dean Melissa Perry, Divisional Dean of Nursing Terri Rebmann, and Associate Professor Andrea Landis share the Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation with Sentara Vice President of Operations Heather Causseaux, and Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center President Jeff Joyner. Photo by Rene Ayala/CPH

Perry shared her vision for leveraging these tools to enhance learning experiences, preparing students for the complexities of real-world health care scenarios. “As the first College of Public Health to be accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in 2024, George Mason is a trailblazer in integrating immersive technologies into interdisciplinary health education,” said Perry.

Cieslowski, Joyner, and Perry discussed the critical role of cross-generational communication skills in modern health care—particularly as virtual nursing becomes more prevalent.

“It’s very common for a nurse on an overnight shift to be early in their career, while a virtual nurse may have 30 years of experience,” said Cieslowski. “Scenarios that help these nurses communicate more effectively during a simulated medical emergency have immense value.”

The lab’s virtual reality (VR) simulations bridge this gap by offering real-world situational awareness in a safe, controlled environment. Students can repeatedly engage in high-pressure scenarios, refining their skills without real-world consequences.

One such example is a pediatric emergency simulation, where students practice managing a rapidly evolving situation—simultaneously calming a distressed parent, addressing the patient’s needs, ordering critical tests like chest X-rays and labs, and coordinating with providers. By merging didactic learning with immersive experiences, students build confidence and competence in handling complex medical events.

Vice President of Operations Heather Causseaux experiences a virtual reality nursing simulation in George Mason's Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation. Photo by Rene Ayala/CPH

“The experience that students will gain in Mason’s Lab for Immersive Technologies will help them effectively respond in real-time to the complex situations they will face in the field, and ultimately, lead to improved patient outcomes,” said Causseaux. “Students will have greater confidence based on these innovative tools that are transforming health care.”

As Sentara explores opportunities to further integrate immersive technologies, the partnership with the College of Public Health presents an exciting opportunity to elevate health care education across the industry. With cutting-edge technology, visionary leadership, and a commitment to innovation, George Mason is shaping the future of interprofessional health education—one immersive experience at a time.